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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27687044">(Don't Fear) The Reaper</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sxster_snapped/pseuds/sxster_snapped'>sxster_snapped</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dream SMP One-Shots [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dream Smp, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Manhunt - Freeform, Minecraft, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Life Partners, Platonic Relationships, dream just almost dies, like straight up almost has to respawn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 01:54:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,736</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27687044</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sxster_snapped/pseuds/sxster_snapped</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A manhunt gone wrong leads to the three hunters trying to find Dream before time runs out<br/>(i'm bad a summaries, i promise it's better than that)</p><p>Title from the song "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" by Blue Öyster Cult</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clay | Dream &amp; Darryl Noveschosch, Clay | Dream &amp; GeorgeNotFound &amp; Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream &amp; Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Georgenotfound &amp; Clay | Dream, Zak Ahmed &amp; Darryl Noveschosch</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dream SMP One-Shots [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2103711</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>244</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>(Don't Fear) The Reaper</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Dream!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t funny, you muffin-head, where are you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dude, we said you won like ten minutes ago.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The three hunters trudged through the swamp with annoyance, armour weighing them down and boots filling with mud. Bad’s tail twitched from a mixture of irritation at the constantly swarming bugs and anxiety for their friend. It was almost night, and George had messaged Dream saying the hunters were giving up for the day and he won almost a quarter of an hour ago but no response had come yet. Sapnap groaned as his foot got stuck in mud, grabbing a tree to try and get leverage and free himself from the suction. George laughed as Sapnap’s foot came free without his boot and he fell backwards into the murky water.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t laugh, or I’ll fill your bed with mud when we get back,” Sapnap snarked at the brit, accepting Bad’s hand as he stood up. He glanced at the horizon and his frown deepened. “Guys, we need to find him before the sun goes down. I don’t want to deal with slimes and witches with only one shoe. Have your compasses changed at all?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, mine is still pointed in the same way it was ten minutes ago,” George said after a quick glance to double check. He lifted his goggles off his face, the setting sun making it hard to see with them on. A bruise on his temple that had been mostly hidden by his goggles was revealed. Bad immediately scolded him for not telling them earlier, reaching for his pack to grab a potion. George brushed off his concern with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I don’t need a healing pot, it barely even hurts anymore. Save them for incase Dream managed to get himself hurt.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You muffin-heads are going to be the death of me someday,” Bad muttered to himself as he fidgeted with his hood nervously. The trio kept moving, Sapnap complaining about his boot as George kept his eyes on his compass. He adjusted their route to move to the Northmost end of the swamp. At the edge of the swamp they saw a cave entrance, half hidden by vines and mud. Sapnap quickly lit a torch and crept into the shallow cave, expecting to see zombies and skeletons waiting for the last rays of the sun to disappear. His alarmed shout alerted Bad and George, who had waited outside, ready to run if a zombie hoard appeared.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sap?” George called out, startled by the sudden complete darkness inside the cave. Bad lit his own torch and held it out, their eyes straining to adjust to the flickering light. “Sapnap! Where did you go? We still have to find Dream!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“George, get your British ass over here and help me!” Sapnap’s panicked voice echoed from the other side of the entrance. The two hunters sprinted in his direction, Bad’s torch revealing Sapnap desperately digging with his hands through a pile of debris. Sapnap’s torch was extinguished in a puddle on the ground next to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sapnap, calm down, what happened?” Bad asked, propping the torch against the wall and grabbing his friend’s hands before he cut himself on the jagged edges of the stone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sapnap’s breathing was uneven, eyes filled with panic as he tried to get back to digging. George sucked in a breath and picked up something white from the edge of the debris pile. Bad looked over and his eyes widened. Dream’s mask, or the broken piece of it that George held, had blood splattered on it and was coated in a fine layer of grey dust.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gunpowder.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Creeper.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fucking let me go!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>George stuffed the piece of the mask into his bag and had his shovel out in record time. Bad let go of Sapnap’s wrists and handed him his own shovel while he stood up with his shield at the ready, prepared to defend the duo from any mobs. Bad lit another torch for more light, revealing that the puddle Sapnap’s torch had fallen into had a faint pink tint to it. He winced and looked away, quickly taking care of a zombie that had heard Sapnap’s shout. George and Sapnap dug as fast as they dared, using both the shovels and their hands to avoid unsettling the debris and potentially making it shift on their buried friend.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>More zombies were attracted by the noise the digging made, but Bad was able to take them out with his bow before they got close to the trio. He glanced towards the entrance of the cave to check for slimes or witches, but even with his enhanced vision the faint moonlight made it so he could barely see three feet outside. George let out a triumphant cry and the sounds of digging paused as he tried to figure out how to best get to Dream.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A quiet groan made Bad turn around, half expecting to see a zombie somehow snuck past him. He froze as his eyes took in the sight in front of him, George cradling Dream’s head gently in his lap, brushing bloody blond hair out of his eyes. Sapnap was carefully removing larger pieces of debris from around where Dream was lying. His green eyes were barely open, his chest struggling with every breath as he brought a weak hand to meet George’s wrist. Bad spun back around at the groan of an actual zombie and made quick work of it, its head rolling across the cave as he built a quick wall to separate the four from the mobs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dream, Dream you have to stay awake,” George said softly, keeping his hands gentle as one carded through the blond hair and the other kept his neck still in case of a neck injury. Blood from a gash on Dream’s forehead coated the brit’s hands, but he ignored it as Dream let out another pained groan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bad set his sword and shield down in order to help Sapnap move the last piece of debris. Sapnap sucked in a sharp breath and turned around after they had finally moved the debris off of the blond. Bad winced, but knelt down next to Dream’s torso. He pulled out a clean cloth and soaked it in water before taking a deep breath, “George, hold his arms down so he doesn’t hurt himself more. Sap, get ready with a healing pot.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The other two nodded, expressions grim as they got ready to do what Bad asked. He took another breath to steady his hands. He ripped the broken diamond axe head out of where it was lodged in Dream’s stomach, and then quickly pressed the clean cloth into the wound, applying pressure even as Dream let out the most broken and pain-filled scream. George’s grip on Dream’s shoulders was the only thing that kept him from pulling away from the pressure. Tears tracked through the blood and ash on his face as his breathing grew more labored. Sapnap gently held a healing potion to Dream’s lips, and he reluctantly swallowed it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He whimpered, eyes fluttering as he tried to stay conscious, “G-eorge, h-hurts.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>George shushed him gently, hands moving back to smoothing through his hair, offering silent comfort as Bad kept pressure on the gash. Sapnap dug through the group’s bags, trying to find a splash potion so Dream wouldn’t have to try and drink another. For a few minutes, the only sounds were Dream’s pained gasps and shuddering breaths and the ruffle of fabric as Sapnap frantically sifted through their belongings. The cloth Bad was pressing against the wound was soaked through with blood, and the feeling of warm blood soaking his hands made him want to cry with the blond.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, no no no, Dream, open your eyes, you don’t get to sleep yet,” George’s voice raised from the quiet whispers to a panicked level. He gently tapped Dream’s cheek, leaving a bloody handprint. “Dream, hey, Dream. Dream this counts as you losing, you’ll win if you stay awake.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sapnap finally found the splash healing potions and he wasted no time dumping one on the blond’s stomach, directly next to where Bad’s hands were positioned. They made eye contact, terrified expressions mirrored on each other’s face as George kept trying to wake up Dream. Sapnap broke the eye contact to close his hand around another potion and pour it on the blonde, not liking how pale his normally tan skin had gotten.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>George’s voice was almost hysteric, “No! Dream, Dream c’mon, you can’t do this to us. Keep breathing, don’t you dare give up!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sapnap cursed under his breath, grabbing a potion of strength and pouring it out with a healing potion. Bad checked the wound, and, seeing the bleeding had slowed, he lifted the stained and torn hoodie away from it in order to be able to bandage it easier. Hands skilled from too much practice were able to wrap the wound quickly, hesitating slightly before Sapnap lifted Dream’s torso off the ground so he could wrap the bandages around his back and make sure they were tight. The three hunters watched with bated breath, but no red showed up on the bandages outside of the bit of blood from Bad’s hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We have to get him home </span>
  <em>
    <span>now</span>
  </em>
  <span>, do we have any ender pearls?” Sapnap spoke up, voice breaking slightly. “Or at least a boat?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s wood in my bag, it should be enough for a crafting table and a boat,” George said, before going back to trying to get Dream to wake up. Sapnap grabbed the mentioned wood and let out a relieved sigh when he saw it was enough, making the boat as fast as he could. He got a few splinters as he set the boat in the water outside the cave, quickly glancing around for mobs. He rushed back and helped Bad lift Dream off George, who grabbed the things the other two couldn’t carry while also carrying Dream. Sapnap sat down in the boat and Bad propped Dream up so his back was leaning against Sapnap’s chest. It wasn’t the most comfortable position for rowing, but it would keep Dream relatively stable and they hadn’t checked for broken bones yet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>George and Bad stayed on the side of the swamp to avoid any of the treacherous mud that made up the earth under the murky water. Bad had to grab his bow and shoot a few mobs that got too close to the boat a few times, but for the most part the mobs seemed to be surprisingly few in numbers. Within thirty minutes, much faster than when they were wandering completely lost and with no direction, they could see the lights that marked the end of the Prime Path. Somehow, they had ended up near the ruins of L’manberg’s walls. Sapnap was able to pick up Dream in a bridal carry, leaving the boat in the river that had led out of the swamp.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bad could see a figure laying on the ruined walls, gazing up at the stars. He couldn’t make out who it was, but with how panicked Sapnap sounded when he told them he couldn’t feel Dream breathing he didn’t care who it was, “Help! Get potions, get a bed cleared! Hurry!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bad?” a familiar voice replied, the figure sitting up at his shouts. “What the fuck happened? You guys said you’d be back by sundown!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not now, ‘Geppy. Dream’s seriously hurt, we need to help him now,” Bad replied, brushing past his friend in a way that made him want to apologize, but he didn’t slow down. George had picked up his pace and sprinted ahead when the lights first appeared, and now the Brit was holding the door open to a new building, light flooding out into the night. Skeppy grabbed the door from him so he could help Sapnap gently set Dream down on the bed. There was a chest full of splash healing and strength potions near the bed, and Bad vaguely remembered Dream and George joking about making a hospital after Dream had almost broken George’s leg in the last Manhunt.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Skeppy stood back, awkward and out of place as Bad frantically grabbed clean water and bandages to clean off any other wounds they might find. He quickly cut Dream’s hoodie off followed by the black tank top, making a silent promise that he’d get him new clothes. George had gotten the torn leather gauntlet gloves off of Dream’s arms, exposing nasty bruises and small cuts from where he obviously tried to shelter himself from the explosion. Sapnap stood next to Skeppy, feeling out of his league as the other two worked as a well oiled team to clean out and bandage the lesser wounds and check for any other bad injuries.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What happened? He’s normally too aware for creepers to sneak up on him,” Skeppy asked Sapnap, mainly to break the silence that had gone on too long for him to be comfortable.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sapnap cleared his throat weakly, “I think we distracted him. We sent a message and he must’ve been reading his communicator or replying, and the creeper surprised him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Skeppy noticed the silent request to change the topic and he started talking about the prank Tubbo had planned on Tommy and how Tommy had enlisted Fundy for revenge. Bad tuned out their conversation as George said his name quietly. He looked back at the brit, noticing the worry filling brown eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bad, what if he doesn’t make it? Respawns have been weird recently, remember how long it took Fundy after he got shot by the skeleton?” George smoothed a hand through Dream’s hair, wincing at the dried blood.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Dream</span>
  </em>
  <span>, you muffin, something as small as a creeper wouldn’t be able to take him out. You and Sapnap would never let him live it down,” Bad tried to reassure him, making a mental note to wash Dream’s hair before he woke up, but his shaky hands gave away his matching fear.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Skeppy’s laugh broke the tension as both of them turned to look at the diamond encrusted person. His face flushed a faint blue at the attention, “Blame Sap, he’s the one making jokes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sapnap shrugged, a sheepish expression crossing his face, “I can’t handle this kind of situation, if Dream was awake he’d be laughing with me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If Dream was awake, we wouldn’t be in this kind of situation,” George snapped, flinching at the volume of his own voice. He rubbed his head near the bruise which brought Bad’s attention to it. He subtly pressed a healing potion into George’s hands, silently telling him to drink it with an even glare. Sapnap had winced at George’s harsh tone, shifting his weight and taking great interest in his feet. He had taken his armour and white shirt off, keeping his black long-sleeved undershirt on since it had escaped most of the dirt and blood. George pulled his own blue shirt off, accepting the spare black shirt Sapnap offered as a silent apology with his own apologetic smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bad slumped to the ground next to the bed, breath escaping in a rush, “All we can do is wait. With the amount of potions we used, there’s no way he’ll get worse. He might be awake by sunrise.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Skeppy’s eyes lit up and he darted out of the building, leaving the other three confused for barely a minute before he reappeared, somehow carrying four cots. He dropped them right inside the door and vanished outside again, coming back with blankets and pillows, “I forgot that Tubbo told me about the extra beds they had stored near the drug van! I know you guys don’t want to leave Dream, but you all look dead on your feet. I’ll stay up, you guys get some rest. I’ll wake you up if he gets better or worse.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bad smiled brightly at his friend, standing up to hug him but stopping when he remembered the blood coating his cloak. Skeppy grinned and closed the distance, hugging Bad even when he yelped and pushed Skeppy off before blood stained his blue hoodie. George and Sapnap shared small smiles as Bad scolded Skeppy. He pulled away from Skeppy and took his cloak off, shrugging it to the side and wrapping his arms around his torso over his red shirt. Skeppy pulled his own hoodie off and tossed it to Bad silently, moving to help George and Sapnap set up the beds.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bad built a quick fireplace in the corner to heat up the quartz room as the coldness of the night started to seep in. Sapnap and George were asleep almost as soon as their heads hit their pillows. They had pushed the beds as close to each other and Dream as possible, and they had unconsciously moved closer to each other. George’s fingers were wrapped loosely around Sapnap’s wrist in order to feel his pulse while Sapnap’s head was close to George’s chest to hear his breathing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bad sat on the edge of one of the other beds, tugging the sleeves of Skeppy’s hoodie over his hands. He knew he should sleep, but Dream was still so pale that he was afraid that if his eyes closed Dream might get worse. Bad heard soft shuffling and felt the bed shift before arms wrapped around his waist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Skeppy spoke quietly in his ear, “You can sleep, Bad. I promise nothing bad is going to happen.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He giggled quietly as his own joke, Bad rolled his eyes but a grin fought its way onto his face. Skeppy shifted so he was sitting near the head of the bed, Bad resting his head on Skeppy’s thigh instead of the pillow. Bad curled up on his side, shifting to pull the blankets up to his chin. Skeppy relaxed as Bad’s breathing evened out, moving his hands through Bad’s short hair gently as he kept his eyes on Dream. Hours passed in silence while the four slept before a quiet sound of pain came from the bed right as the sun first started to creep above the horizon. Skeppy’s eyes snapped open from their resting position. He saw Dream’s eyes were slightly open, green glazed over with pain and shock. It took him a few seconds to gently move Bad’s head off his thigh and onto the pillow without waking him, but as soon as he was able to, Skeppy was at Dream’s side. He knelt down and grabbed Dream’s shoulder gently, causing the green eyes to slowly move to his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey there, big man, you really fucked yourself up,” Skeppy said with an awkward grin. Dream frowned as he became more awake and more aware of the pain. “Let me wake up Bad, he’s better at the comforting shit than I am.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dream’s eyes fluttered slightly, closing briefly before opening again. Skeppy took that as his cue to wake up Bad fast. He shook the sleeping man’s shoulder, causing him to jerk away and sit up, reaching for a weapon that wasn’t there. Bad blinked sleep out of his eyes, “‘Geppy? What-?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dream’s awake,” was all Skeppy needed to say for Bad to swing his legs over the side of the bed and look over at Dream. Half shut green eyes met white and Bad was at Dream’s side in the time it took Skeppy to blink.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, hey, do you think you could drink anything?” Bad asked gently, hands grabbing a healing potion and painkillers. Dream blinked at him, a pained noise coming out of his throat as he tried to sit up. Bad caught his shoulder and helped him ease up into a sitting position, Skeppy grabbing the pillows from the empty beds to prop under Dream’s back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dream opened his mouth when Bad placed the bottle against his lips, swallowing some of the potion before he accepted the painkillers. He winced at the feeling, tongue flicking out over his chapped lips before he spoke, “B-ad. What. . .what happened? It h-hurts.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shh, you muffin-head, you got caught by a creeper,” Bad answered, hands carding through Dream’s hair, the dried blood making the normally soft hair matted and tangled. “Where does it hurt the most? I need to make sure we didn’t miss any injuries.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My stomach, a-arms, and head,” the blond mumbled. His eyes were less glazed than before, which Bad took as a good sign. He noted with relief the gash on his forehead seemed smaller and less inflamed than earlier. Skeppy moved to wake up George and Sapnap.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bad moved his fingers gently around Dream’s head, checking for bumps or cuts he might’ve missed in his panic. He found only one bump, but it seemed to be relatively small. A quick check of Dream’s pupils confirmed they weren’t dilated and that he likely didn’t have a concussion, a small grace.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dream!” Sapnap was sitting cross legged on the bed directly next to Dream’s, George next to him. George grabbed his bruised wrist with a gentle hand, fingers wrapping around his pulse like he had done with Sapnap. Dream shifted his hand in George’s grip, moving to lace their fingers together.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi,” Dream said, voice slightly more steady as the most recent healing potion started to kick in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sapnap scoffed, “Don’t you ‘hi’ us. I- we thought you were dying.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You stopped breathing, Dream,” George said quietly, heterochromatic eyes filled with tears. Dream blinked, mouth snapping shut as he stopped whatever he had been about to say.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A moment of silence passed as Dream processed their words, “Oh.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A wet laugh tore its way out of Sapnap, tears mixing with his laughter, “That’s how you react when you almost die because of a creeper? Just ‘oh’?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dream’s face flushed slightly, but a weak wheeze joined Sapnap’s laughter. George rolled his eyes, fighting back his own smile. Skeppy rested his chin on Bad’s shoulder, eyes closing as his own exhaustion caught up to him with the rising sun. Bad reached backwards, gently rubbing Skeppy’s head as he guided them both to sit down on the bed. Sapnap and Dream had started teasing George about crying, leading to the brit threatening to drag them both back to the cave. Bad smiled softly, eyes closing as he felt Skeppy fall asleep, finally able to fully relax as he was comforted by the quiet bickering of his friends.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi all! Thank you so much for reading! I hope it was good, I'm not the best at writing injuries and hurt/comfort. Please leave a comment with thoughts and constructive criticism! Love you all :D</p></blockquote></div></div>
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